How does light pollution impact human health and safety? Ember LED talks health and your environment.

Studies have shown that lighting levels have a major impact on the levels of human health, happiness and safety. Light pollution can be defined as more than necessary, misdirected and intrusive artificial light. Some of these artificial light sources emit blue light or ultraviolet radiation which is particularly bad for human health. Experiencing this kind of light exposure has a horde of negative effects on one’s health. Our bodies require a certain amount of natural light each day to sustain necessary circadian rhythms, vitamins and hormone levels. And yet many of us are outside less than 30 minutes each day. We are exposed to light pollution at times of the day when we should be sleeping, resting or experiencing dimmer light. Without appropriate light levels, humans may experience a horde of negative effects on one’s health.

CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS

The timing, duration, color, intensity and wavelength of light has serious impacts on human circadian rhythms, which are the physical and psychological changes humans experience each day. Circadian rhythms are important to human health because they influence sleep cycles, hormone release, body temperature and emotional temperament. This means that when one is exposed to light at times when one should be resting, sleeping or relaxing, it may cause a decline in productivity, general malaise and depression. Furthermore, experiments have shown that when mice are exposed to artificial light at different points throughout the day, it substantially decreases their metabolism. Scientists observed that mice kept in 20-hour light/dark cycles for 10 weeks gained more weight than mice that experienced normal 24-hour daytime and nighttime light levels.

DRIVING SAFETY

It is well known that at nighttime, light levels on roads and streets have the greatest impact on a driver's ability to see where they are going. Without appropriate levels and lighting fixtures, there are more accidents and tragedies on highways and backroads. In fact, the NZTA Economic Evaluation Manual shows a 35% decrease in crashes when communities upgrade or improve their road and street lights.

MELATONIN

Melatonin is a hormone produced by the body’s pineal gland. It is secreted at nighttime to regulate a person's biological clock. When this gland thrown off, studies show an increase in different types of cancers. Breast cancer specifically is shown to be more prevalent in those who have sleep cycles impacted by artificial light levels.

In a study done by the Cancer Research center in 2005, female volunteers were broken up into groups and exposed to three different types of lighting conditions. Those who were exposed to artificial light during the night for 90 minutes revealed showed melatonin-deficient blood cells. When these cells were injected into tumors, the cells with melatonin-deficient blood grew rapidly compared to those tumors that had sufficient melatonin.

THE SOLUTIONTo avoid the negative impacts associated with light pollution, be sure to choose appropriate light levels and fixtures for each application, whether that be a sign, site or street. Solar and LED technology work to reduce light pollution by directing light towards a specific area rather than shedding lights in regions that do not need to be lit. Furthermore, LED fixtures do not contain damaging blue or ultraviolet light. Check out Ember LED’s blog post, “How Much Light Do You Really Need?,” to learn more about the appropriate light required for specific applications.

One of the most common mistakes people make when choosing what fixtures to use for their outdoor application is overestimating the amount of light necessary for a particular space. It is often assumed that more light means better visibility, however the human eye functions to adapt to its natural surroundings. This means that at nighttime, light levels should respect and reflect the natural environment. Good outdoor lighting should work with the physiology of the eye. However, the exact level of light you are looking for will vary depending on the application you are hoping to use your light fixtures for.

If you are looking to light a parking lot or a roadway, a maintained average of .7 to 3.2 foot-candles is the appropriate amount of light that should be generated by the type of fixture you are using. This is important to note because if parking lot or roadway lights are too bright, drivers will be unable to discern objects beyond the light levels on the street. Overlit roads are potentially dangerous when there are pedestrians, bikers or animals near the road or trying to cross the street. Similarly, light levels that are too low will not provide the sufficient necessary needed for high-traffic, pedestrian-heavy areas. Therefore lights located in remote locations are on the lower side of the foot-candle spectrum, whereas urban areas filled with pedestrians often have a higher foot-candle average.

Non-profit organizations like the International Dark Sky Association are leading efforts to reduce light pollution. They have approved certain fixtures that fit their guidelines as lights that qualify as “dark sky friendly.” (Ember LED’s products are identified as IDA approved fixtures.) Check out their guidelines for good exterior lighting plans to learn about the importance of designing specific placement, time, intensity and color of outdoor lights.

When lighting a site designated as construction work zones or recreational sites, 5 foot-candles is generally the minimum. This measurement is the minimum amount to provide the appropriate amount of light to ensure safe and effective construction work, reinforce traffic control plans and protect the safety of the public. Nighttime construction work can oftentimes be dangerous and and require large machinery. Because of this, bigger jobs such as pavement patching, installations or structural fills may require up to 20 foot-candles. Similarly, while your local soccer field may use 20 foot-candles for nighttime play, professional stadiums are lit up to 75 or more footcandles! This type of lighting provides enough light generated during the daytime and are used specifically for large crowds and televised events. Take a look at the nighttime lighting guidelines for work zones provided by WorkZoneSafety.org for construction zone information and lighting standards for the US soccer foundation for details on soccer stadium lighting.

Ultimately, each space requires different lighting levels. But regardless of whatever location you are looking to light, it is vital for every application to maintain uniformity, control glare and reflections, provide contrast for shadows and allow lighting to reveal sufficient detail.

You may know that solar energy is good for the environment, but how exactly does it work? Ember LED is here to explain the science and engineering behind solar technology and how our architectural and commercial grade systems are able to withstand intense weather conditions while maintaining high performance quality for as long as necessary, 365 days each year.

IT STARTS WITH ‘P’﻿Solar panels function to harness the sun’s power and generate continuous energy through photovoltaic cells. Photovoltaic cells, or PV cells, are devices that convert light energy into electric energy, and contain materials called “semiconductors” that absorbs the sun’s heat. Through this process, electric fields that force electrons to move are freed by light, thus creating the power solar cells produce.﻿STORING THE POWERPower generated by the solar cells are housed within batteries that are stored within a unit connected to the solar panel. Our gel batteries perform well in high and low temperatures and enhance the durability of specified solar systems. Batteries can be placed within battery boxes attached to a small poles, or integrated into our eShine Solar Pole. These systems integrate our eShine solar panel, battery box and vShine lighting fixture into one minimalist inclusive piece. Its clean aesthetic provides incorporates beauty and function to power landscapes, signs, paths, parks and lots. Finally, our ePole’s adaptability allows for easy installation and specific solar placement dependent on site location. WIRELESS FUNCTIONALITYA key benefit to the functionality and of solar systems is that they are wireless. Solar panel are not hooked up to any other power source because they harness 100% of their power from the sun. This ability to “go wireless” means that light can be harnessed in remote locations to generate power and is generally much less expensive to install when compared to wired electric lights. Digging, trenching and other disruptive infrastructure endeavors bear heavy weight of the cost when it comes to new lighting installations. By utilizing solar, it eliminates the requirement of wiring.

MYTH BUSTERDid you know that solar power can be generated on cloudy days? It is a common misconception that solar energy cannot be generated outdoors on cloudy days. Although the sun's power is less strong on days with a foggy overcast, the sun's rays are great enough to reach architectural grade solar panels even when the sun is not visible through the clouds. This is how it is possible to generate solar energy even in the most cloudy locations like Seattle, Portland and Washington D.C. Check it out here.

The first week of July brings great celebration for the United States and Canada. Each country hosts parades, festivals and fireworks in honor of their nation’s Independence. And what better way for Ember LED to participate in the excitement than by sharing some facts about solar power amid the light show celebrations! Here are some fun facts about the growth of solar LED lighting and solar energy in the United States and Canada.

SOLAR IN CANADA

For the majority of Canada’s history, the country has used solar energy to power space heating, water heating, crops and lumber production. Government funded solar energy production took off in the country during the 1970’s, and since then efforts have been put forth in providing power 24 hours a day in communities across the country. In fact, the policies set forth thus far have set Canada on track to provide solar for 5% of the country’s energy supply by 2025.

The Feed-In-Tariff (FIT) program, launched in Ontario in 2009, was one of the initiatives designed to accelerate Canada’s investments in solar and other renewable energies. This program has made Ontario a global leader in solar projects. Solar now provides almost 2% of Ontario’s total energy supply, and Ontario became home of one of the largest solar farms in the country during 2010. According to Paul Gipe from Renewable Energy World, the province is expected to reach 2,650 megawatts of solar by 2015. Additional policies have been enacted in Canada encouraging renewable energy and growth in the solar LED and LED lighting industry such as the Green Energy Act. Passed in 2009, this policy promotes renewable energy, green jobs and encourages environmentalism throughout the country.

SOLAR IN THE UNITED STATES

Solar energy was first recorded to be harnessed in the United States by H.E. Willsie and John Boyle in their application of a solar power water pump by using mirrors to generate a stream of water in 1904. Solar power has its roots in 7th Century B.C., and so its use was not new or revolutionary to the world, however this application marked an important stride in American solar development. Around the same time, Albert Einstein also published a paper of photoelectric effects alongside his theory of relativity and won the Nobel Prize for his theory in 1918, creating awareness about the new way to harness energy and power in the USA.

The next time solar saw popularity was just after WWII. During the war, the country endured a severe energy shortage. So in 1947, Libbey-Owens-Ford Glass Company published a contact list of the nation’s top Passive Solar architects to be contracted for both residential and commercial buildings. These architects were skilled at building sites that collected, preserved and distributed solar energy throughout the wintertime, and kept out solar energy and heat during the summer. It was around this time that the first commercial office building was registered in the National Historic Register as the world’s first solar heated office building to run on passive solar energy designed in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Satellite solar panels also became utilized by NASA in order to power the first Orbiting Astronomical Observatory: an idea by Peter Glaser, American born scientist and aerospace engineer.

In 1973 the first photovoltaic powered home was build by the University of Delaware, and became a landmark for solar powered energy. Throughout the 70's, further strides were made by NASA and the US Department of Energy to integrate photovoltaic power in telecommunications and grain milling systems. The 80's and 90’s brought advancements in solar manufacturing technologies and facilities throughout the US. Watts became cheaper, smaller and more efficient. Organizations, consortiums and government agencies were constructed to incorporate energy efficiency. And in 1999, the tallest skyscraper in Times Square incorporated energy-efficient panels on its South and West facing sides to generate power to portions of the building.

Fast-forward to 2008; After decades of advancements in solar technology, this year saw the beginnings of the greatest strides in solar power technology and installations. Solar power is now economically-competitive in several of the warmer states throughout the country, and represents a promising industry for economic opportunities in the United States. Not only does this market growth promote climate change, it improves national security, clean domestic energy availability and job creation.

EMBER LED

Ember LED, established in 2012, is part of this impressive progress and growth in the solar market throughout North America. Partnered with Valen Light, Ember LED develops and markets high powered solar LED and LED lighting systems to engineers, architects, electrical contractors and distributors. We create professional quality, architectural and commercial grade products that last up to 30 years, and are proud to take part in a technologically innovative and progressive movement towards utilizing renewable energies around the globe. And we are especially proud to work throughout the United States and Canada.